Shouting Your Name All Over Town
by foreverwriting9
Summary: Missing scene between 'Knockout' and 'Rise'. Esposito and Ryan take Castle to the Old Haunt in an attempt to make him feel better.


_And my mates are all there trying to calm me down_

_'Cause I'm shouting your name all over the town_

_I'm swearing if I go there now_

_I can change her mind turn it all around_

_And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words_

_And she'll listen this time even though they're slurred_

_Dialed her number and confessed to her_

_I'm still in love but all I heard_

_Was nothing_

**The Script, 'Nothing'**

XXX

"Yo, Castle, know what you need?"

"Some new leads," Castle mumbles into the paperwork he holds in front of his face. "What?" he asks louder, still not tearing his eyes away from records.

"A good, stiff drink," Esposito replies.

"Yeah," Ryan chimes in, "plus we know this great bar. The owner loves us; we're practically family."

Castle glances up at both of them. He knows where this is going.

XXX

"Guys, this is nice, really," Castle says, gesturing around at the Old Haunt, and then to the drink sitting in front of him, "but it's totally unnecessary. I'm fine, really."

Ryan and Esposito exchange glances. "You're not sleeping in the precinct, are you?" Ryan asks, spinning his glass through the condensation on the tabletop.

"What? No, of course not."

"Good," says Ryan, "because that would be a bit of overkill."

"Plus," Esposito adds, "we're gonna catch the son of a bitch who did all this, and we don't want you to be burned out when we make the arrest."

Castle's smile is tight. "Really, guys, I'm fine."

"All right," Esposito holds up his hands in defense, and slides out of the booth. "We just wanted to make sure. The last few months have been hard, on all of us, and Ryan and I figured you could use a morale boost, that's all."

Castle nods. "Thanks."

"So, a round on the house?" Esposito asks.

Castle laughs and nods. "Be my guest."

Before walking over to the bartender, Esposito leans down and whispers, "Keep an eye on him," to Ryan with a meaningful tilt of his head toward Castle.

Ryan nods. "Will do."

XXX

"Dude, I told you to watch him!" Esposito tries to reach out and smack his partner's arm, but Ryan sees it coming and moves out of the way.

"Well, that's kind of hard to do when you're _also_ telling me to keep tabs on the hot waitress."

Esposito frowns. "Not my fault I have my priorities straight."

Ryan shakes his head. "WWLS?"

Esposito stops looking down alleyways for Castle and turns to face Ryan. "What'd you call me?"

Before either one of them can say anything else, a shouting comes from up the street.

"And she promised she would call me! But it's been almost three months, and I haven't heard from her. I'm afraid she doesn't want to see me anymore, and I need to tell her something very important-"

Ryan and Esposito grimace in unison. "I think that's him," Ryan mutters.

"You think?"

XXX

They find Castle leaning in through the window of a cab, shouting at the driver.

"Castle!"

He whips around to face Ryan and Esposito, and then smiles. "Hey, guys."

"Castle, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get him to take me to see Beckett, but he doesn't know where she is, so I was explaining the story to him."

"Oh, right, of course," Esposito leans in through the taxi window and gives the driver an apologetic grin. "Sorry about this, our friend has had a little too much to drink."

The cabbie scowls. "I can tell." He gives a wary glance at Castle, who's still peering through the cab windows at him, and then turns back to Esposito. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, sorry, again." Esposito turns away from the curb and grabs Castle by the arm.

"Hey, where's he going?"

Esposito ignores the question. "Castle, how much did you have to drink?"

Castle blinks owlishly at him and then shrugs. "Dunno."

"Goddammit, man." This time Ryan isn't quick enough to move away from Esposito's hand. "We gotta take him back to Martha and Alexis, and he's _drunk_."

Ryan sighs. "You go get the car, I'll make sure he doesn't harass any more cabdrivers."

"Deal," Esposito nods and starts off down the sidewalk. "Better get him a leash," he calls over his shoulder, pointing to the other side of the street where Castle has stopped an elderly woman.

"Dammit, Castle! Not cool!" Ryan shouts, dashing across the street just as Castle opens his mouth.

XXX

"He better not throw up in this car."

Ryan turns around and looks at Castle, who's laid out across the back seat. "I think he's asleep."

"Beckett!"

Esposito jumps and almost swerves into a parked car. Ryan gives him a sheepish shrug. "Guess he's awake now."

"I love her," Castle's mournful voice drifts up from the back seat.

Esposito pulls the car to a stop in front of Castle's apartment, turns around in his seat, and gives Castle a small smile. "We know, bro, we know."


End file.
